JohnfromUK,
I don't think this is the "peening"of the hook, Joe was talking about. This was only tightening, not putting it back "on face".He specifically said he wouldn't work on the "hook" to tighten.I'm sure what Joe was talking about is the often seen punchmarks on the hook(the front lug)in a misguided attempt to set it back.This poor method is very obvious,even to the untrained eye.What the English trained gunsmith did in the video is not obvious and I suspect a lot of us proudly show off guns that have had the same thing done, without knowing it.
Mike
Hi Mike,
What you say about having guns that have had this treatment may very well be correct, but I have had two guns tightened, in one case by a new pin, and in the other case by a new pin and re-metal the hook (it had previously had at least one new pin).
In both cases, I was told this was the ONLY way to do it properly, though neither was badly 'off the face', just a bit loose in closure. I agree if the gun is off the face, the barrels have to be moved back towards the face - and the video acknowledges that. I don't agree that 'dressing' the metal on one bite alone to tighten the closure is the right way to go. I have been told that the action should NEVER be squeezed, another thing mentioned in the video.
As Gunman has said, these may be acceptable for a very cheap way of getting a low budget gun that doesn't justify a proper job a bit better for a short time. Peening the metal like that will give a small contact area that will wear quickly and you will be back to square one very quickly.
I don't believe it is the right thing to do at all - ever - to a quality gun. I would not (knowingly) accept it being done to any of my guns - if others are happy with this technique, fine, but I'm not! Just my view and I may be 'picky' or plain fussy, but I try to get things done the 'right' way on my guns.
